WebJunction Programs Manager, OCLC
Betha Gutsche
WebJunction Community Manager, OCLC
Jennifer Peterson
April 25, 2019
The Library as Social Connector:Forging Community Connections
Betha Gutsche and Jennifer Peterson
WebJunction
Let’s stay connected! #libsocialconnect
THESIS
• By applying an intentional focus on
rebuilding social bonds, public libraries
have the position and power to heal
fractured communities.
Trajectory (agenda)
Erosion of
social
connectionValue of
social
connection
Revival of
the “real”
Library as
connection
catalyst
YOU!
Po
ss
ibilit
ies
Image: You can do anything girl by lavnatalia on Pixabay
What active learning or participatory
programs are you offering in your
libraries?
VALUE OF SOCIAL CONNECTION
“Social
connections
are as
important to
our survival
and flourishing
as the need
for food,
safety, and
shelter.”*
*Source: Social Connection Makes a Better Brain; E. E. Smith; The Atlantic; Oct 29,2013
*Photo: 5 Tribe by amanda tipton on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
“Social connectedness
generates a positive
feedback loop of
social, emotional and
physical well-being.”*
• Lowered anxiety and
depression
• Stronger immune system
• Faster recovery from
illness
• Increased chance of
longevity
• Higher self-esteem,
greater empathy*Source: Connectedness & Health: The
Science of Social Connection; Dr. Emma
Seppala; Stanford Medicine; May 8, 2014
Volunteers by rawpixel on Pixabay
Social connection = more
trusting and cooperative
“When people engage in
sustained, recurrent interaction,
particularly while doing things
they enjoy, relationships
inevitably grow.”
The Social Infrastructure Factor
Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg, 2018
EROSION OF SOCIAL CONNECTION
“If people bowl alone, they do not participate in social interaction
and civic discussions that might occur in a league environment.”
⎯Wikipedia
Bowling alone
Photo: Bowling alone by Kilgub on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Technology “individualizes” leisure time
Photo: Social media bubble by geralt on Pixabay
Atlantic
New
Yorker
Forbes
NPR
Photo: Stressed by aaayyymm eeelectriik on Flickr CC BY 2.0
We’ve lost that “we feeling”
REVIVAL OF THE “REAL”
“Analog gives
us the joy of
creating and
possessing
real, tangible
things”
⎯David Sax
Photo: Moleskin display by B. Gutsche; used with permission
The Guardian
Aug 29, 2018
Photo: Cornwall Public Library Smart Space, used with permission
“This desire for human interaction — and a sense of
community and place — is one of the magnets that
draw people to neighborhood bookstores…”
libraries
Photo: Build a City by CSM (CA) Libraries on Flickr; CC BY 2.0
LIBRARY AS CONNECTION CATALYST
Why libraries?
“‘Why build a library when we have an internet?’
Put another way, ‘Why go to a party when I
have food and music at home?’
Internet surfing is largely a solo endeavor.
A library is a shared experience.”*
*Quote: A Library for All Ages; Louie Castoria; Half Moon Bay Review, Aug 22, 2018
Libraries
foster
social
cohesion
• People forge bonds in
healthy infrastructure
• Open and inclusive
• Safe space
• Nurture civility
• Cultures of learning,
improving self and
society
*Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg, 2018
Active, Participatory Learning at the Library
Photos: Digital Media Lab, Laurel (DE) Public Library, with permission from Tameca Beckett; and Silent Reading Party, courtesy
Maryborough Regional Library – Victoria on Facebook
DIY becomes DIT (doing it together)
From Nerf Wars to Community Gardens
Photo: courtesy Carnegie-Stout Public Library on Facebook
See also video https://youtu.be/FjOVue0jitA
Photo: courtesy Berkeley County Library System on Facebook
Libraries build
social connection!
Escape Rooms Build Social Connection!
Library Escape Room, courtesy Socastee Library on Facebook
March for Change Escape Room, courtesy Kings Highway
Library on Facebook
Build social capital
What can the library do to
amplify social connections?
Photo: Gold coins by aleksandra85foto on Pixabay
CHALLENGE
For a public program that brings people
together at the library to do or make things,
design ways to enhance social connections,
especially between/among individuals who are
unlikely to connect in their everyday lives
Be an intentional host
You are the HOST
of your event.
Own it!
Photo: Grand Summer Event by Yelp Inc on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Let’s do an Intergenerational
Cardboard Challenge!
▪ It’s low tech and low barrier.
▪ It works well as a team event.
Photo: Cardboard Challenge 2014 by Michael Buist on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
cardboardchallenge.com
The event starts with the invitation
How might you prepare your guests ahead of
time?
Photo: Cardboard Challenge 2014 by Michael Buist on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Crossing the threshold
What might you do to help people feel
comfortable in this new experience?
Photo: Cardboard Challenge 2014 by Michael Buist on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Equalize and connect your guests
What might you do to eliminate hierarchies
and equalize social standing?
Photo: Cardboard Challenge 2014 by Michael Buist on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Dual-purpose wrap-up
What might you do to help people reflect on
what they experienced at the event? How
might you capture their responses?
Photo: Cardboard Challenge 2014 by Michael Buist on Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
“[Libraries are] amazing
institutions that would be kind
of inconceivable if we didn’t
already have them.”⎯Eric Klinenberg
How will you tell this story
to your stakeholders?
Learner Guide
THANK YOU!
Stay connected – Share what you’re doing
to forge community connections
#libsocialconnect